Tuesday, April 1, 2014

I am back

Yes I’m back…

After two years of juggling personal life issues and trying
to retain my energy for getting well and finding new direction I finally feel
ready to share with you and for you to read my writing again. I have found that
to live my best life it must be filled with energy. In order to have this I
have created, what I call: open spaces and quiet time. I will tell you about
this another time.

For now I am sure you are wondering what has happened in the
last two years… and yes, it could happen to you too.

Two years ago I discovered I had breast cancer. You know how
you can feel completely prepared for the future, knowing that you have no
history of cancer and everything pointing to heart disease is taken care of
with medication. Well I was in for a rude shock. The doctor was not sure what
she was looking at so after five biopsies and waiting the whole weekend for an
answer, I finally heard the news.

What can
you think or do while you are waiting you might ask. My advice is, firstly, get
insurance cover even if you have a medical aid or hospital plan as soon as you
can, before it is too late, before you discover you are ill; secondly, don’t go
scaring yourself by surfing the internet but do educate yourself about the
terminology which is used, where you will get the best care, what the different
options you might have for helping your recovery; thirdly, try to be as open as
you can to communicating to your close family and friends; and fourthly, surround
yourself with people (family, friends and medical practitioners) whom you can
trust to support you when you need it most.

Don’t panic!! You will find that everybody has their
personal story which takes them on a journey and so will you. You might feel
bewildered by the news and all the jargon, you might feel a sense of shame or
failure or regret. But what is important is to dig deep into your deepest
recesses for courage, strength, faith and gratitude for what you still have. It
is an opportunity to take stock of what you have, what you have done and what
you can still give to others. To change, means one thing comes to an end while
another thing begins.

I was lucky. My tumor was caught early. And so now after
regaining my strength I plan to begin a new ‘chapter’ in my life which includes
this space.

About Me

I love life, people, nature; art, colors, texture & metaphor; the whimsical & ethereal; walking on the beach & in the forests; & the Creator. I am me, a mother, daughter, friend, wife and colleague.
Truth, connection, communication, focus and hard work are my values. I communicate through art, poetry, music & writing. Process and Journey are important; My inspiration is drawn from sea, sky, weather, mountains, fauna, flora & people. Daydreaming is my ‘cauldron’ of creativity.
I nurture, care for sick animals, encourage expression of inner self, the self-esteem & the voice. I celebrate growth.
I am spiritual. Like a tree I grow, my roots digging into the ground, searching for water, my branches stretching up to the light: it withstands the storms, providing shade & producing fruit.
I have a loving family: a marriage of 27 years and two lovely daughters aged 20 and 22. We enjoy each other. While I am a unique individual I also have a sense of belonging.